 Let's open our Bibles together to the book of Job. We're in chapter 26 tonight. Job chapter 26. I'm looking forward to celebrating Easter this year. You know last year we didn't have the opportunity to gather as a church family, but we will this time and I'm looking forward to that. It's going to be a blessing. Yeah, amen. We'll have our Good Friday services and it's really it's really not that far from now. When you think about it's a couple weeks or so little over two weeks and and we'll be gathering together and so we'll have our Easter Sunday services. We'll be at 8 30 and and then at 11. We're gonna have a change that day because we anticipate more time and worship and praise and so I was speaking to Jared before we began our service tonight and he was showing me the list of songs that we'll be celebrating on Easter and I'm already looking forward to that. It's going to be great. And so just reminding you that our services are coming up pretty soon. We do have a Monday night young adult study and we do have a Tuesday morning men's study and I'd invite you to those studies also. Excuse me and anyway, that'd be a blessing. One other thing as I have mentioned this to you, I put it on my Facebook page and other pages, but we are looking to go to Israel next year and we're looking at prices and trying to firm those things up and dates as well as you know those those things are related and there are quite a number of people that that have wanted to go in and I believe that Israel will be open for us to be able to begin to travel in and see the nation once again in in March of 2022 and so just letting you know the price has been quoted to me for everything at 4300, but I'm a per person. I'm trying to negotiate a lesser amount than that but if you're wanting to go to Israel you can bank on that probably being close to what we're going to end up paying so we'll be having an online interest service rather interest signups and I'm looking forward to going once again with that said here. We are in Job chapter 26. There's only 14 verses so it's only going to take two hours for me to go through this with you actually I May I may end early today. I hope to actually plan on doing that, but then again, you know never know and Also, I should say hello to the those who are online right now We have quite a number of you watching us online And I'm blessed that we're able to offer you services online And so many of you are are watching even right now What a blessing it is to be able to do this and I'm thankful for you guys who actually came You know for a live service, bless the Lord. It's good to have you with us today. Here. We are chapter 26 I'll begin reading at verse one and I'll read to verse five and we'll get into our study Job chapter 26 beginning at verse one reading to verse five But Job answered and said How have you helped him who is without power? How have you saved the arm that has no strength? How have you counseled one who has no wisdom and How have you declared sound advice to many to whom have you uttered words? Whose spirit came from you? The dead tremble those under the waters and those inhabiting them I'll read verse 6 to she'll is naked before him and destruction has no covering Now as we begin chapter 26, let me refresh your memory a bit One of Job's friends a man by the name of Bill dad You see that in chapter 25 verse 1 Bill dad had just responded to what he considers to be Job's continuous complaint And as a result of that we have seen that Bill dad basically was rebuking him In essence Bill dad is saying to him that Job your you're a sinner and you're in need of humility He pointed out that God is king that he's terrible in might and he said that people should make peace with him and And he makes peace possible Because no one can resist him His angelic army is without number his son shines over the entire earth and since man is not righteous before God and All sin he said Job you need to repent You're simply a sinner. You have no right to question what has happened to you and much of this May be true But how is this brought comfort to Job? What has been said that is new what has he said that is fresh something that Job wasn't familiar with You see Job has heard this kind of argument already. He's heard many such things before So what is being said to him and all of this that's being said especially the last a few verses That he had heard where Bill dad the shoehight was speaking. Well, that didn't help him He'd heard these arguments. He's heard much of what has been said. It isn't helpful at all We saw in the book of Job in chapter 16 verse verse 2 how he said I've heard many such things And then he went on to say miserable comforters. Are you all? So Job is now responding once again and and basically he begins with a series of questions And he says how have you helped him who is without power? So as he begins he's making it very clear that he he's tired and he's wounded How has what you have just said to me? been of any help to me as We read the book of Job He's endured Much pain and much sorrow for several months. It isn't something that took place in a week or three weeks a month It's several months remember back in chapter 3 verse 3 He said I have been allotted months of futility and we're some nights have been appointed to me So we don't know the exact amount of time. He's been suffering, but he says I've had months of it Now some of us would go through something a trial or pain and affliction And it may last a week or two weeks and and we we're about to give up You know we're saying God just kill me. I'm tired of this But Job has been going through suffering that is not ending for several months and he pointed that out I've been allotted months of futility. We're is some nights have been appointed to me This is something that hasn't gone away. This is something that is remaining with me This is something that's affecting me. It's constant. I close my eyes at night. I sleep in pain I awaken I'm still in pain I've still lost everything and and what are you saying to me? That's going to help me You see in the midst of this pain and the suffering you saying how have you brought comfort to me? You're speaking to me about the power and holiness of God But how has that been something that would bring me comfort at this time? What effect did you think your comments would have? You see the terror of God's wrath is hardly the right thing to bring comfort to someone who's in pain I mean imagine that you go to the hospital You try to minister to somebody and the first thing you say to them when they're open their eyes They say, you know God wants to kill you. I mean think about that for a moment That reminded me of something this is in my notes. I Had an assistant here. His name was Tony. Tony used to lead worship in our church And he also did hospital visitations and so we sent him on a hospital visitation One of the members of our fellowship was in the hospital in need of someone to come and minister and so We sent Tony and so Tony went and prayed with her and ministered to her and all and then he came back and spoke to me And he said this was really odd. He said I had the weirdest experience today And I said well, what happened? He said well, I went into the room and and she had She had an oxygen mask on and she had oxygen that was being Supplied for her. He says and and I asked is it possible? Would you like me to pray and she said please he said and he said I began to pray for her And he said and as I was praying for her She began to to breathe with great difficulty and she even was crying at her mask and trying to pull it off He said and it left me in shock and he said I thought oh my goodness I'm going to see her die. I'm going to see her die. She's dying in front of me He said I got really agitated and then I looked down and I saw I was standing on the oxygen tube So anyways, his name is Tony And never asked him to come and pray for you So how would you feel And if if you're ministering to somebody and trying to Bring them comfort Do you do you speak to them and say, you know, you're bad, but and you're hurting but you you really you really should be hurting more I mean, you know, look at look at how he had spoken in chapter 25 verse 6 He speaks of man. He's a maggot. He's a son of man. He's a worm and and me I'd say well, you know, bless the lord that is that is so encouraging. No He he is he is saying the wrong kind of things You see even if god was angry at job We need to remember that god is loving. He's merciful. He's gracious In the book of isaiya chapter 12 verse 1 It reads you will say on that day I will give thanks to you, oh lord For although you were angry with me Your anger has turned away You comfort me And so instead of bringing these words of judgment as bill dad did job is upset Why are you saying these things to me in what way do you think you are comforting me verse 2 again? How have you helped him who's without power? How have you brought comfort to the one who is suffering? How is it? How have you strengthened my weakened life? How have you helped the one who's powerless to help himself? So job is saying you should have brought words of encouragement. You should have brought words of comfort You should have brought words of hope. You should have brought words that would strengthen You should have brought words of compassion. You should have brought words That were wise to help me to see But instead You're telling me that man is a worm that we're maggots and god is mighty and he has mighty armies These are things I already know You are a miserable comforter You've accused me You've accused me of sin And your words instead of strengthening me Have actually weakened me You didn't bring comfort in my suffering What you've done is you've added to the pain. I'm already enduring Proverbs 16 verses 23 and 24 says The heart of the wise teaches his mouth And adds learning to his lips Pleasant words are like a honeycomb Sweetness to the soul health to the bones Why didn't you bring words that were comforting and encouraging? Why is it that you treated me the way that you did again verse two? How have you helped him who is without power? He's speaking of himself and then he goes on to say How have you saved the arm that has no strength? Have you have you given me strength? Have you given strength to my withered arms? You see I'm helpless I can't save myself But bill dad You you have done nothing to give me aid He goes on in verse three and he says How have you counseled one who has no wisdom? How have you declared sound advice? to many What counsel have you given me that benefits me? Seeing you consider me unwise Now job has already made it clear that he already knows What they've been saying He said in chapter 12 verse 3. I have understanding as well as you I'm not inferior to you Indeed who does not know such things as these you're you're giving me Information and and counsel that that I already know you're not giving me anything with insight Well, you're convinced that I have no wisdom, but what wisdom have you offered? He says in verse 3 again how how have you declared sound advice to many What have you said that is so insightful that every person should hear this? What have you said that would bless other people? So he's saying that bill dad's words are common knowledge. There's no wisdom. There's no depth There's no insight And he's actually saying, you know to be honest with you You think too highly of yourself You think too highly of yourself We're supposed to as believers Be very aware of the fact that we can consider ourselves More than we actually are One of the keys if you're ever going to give any advice or counsel or encouragement to somebody One of the keys is always to remember that the advice you give to others should be advice you yourself partake in You never give to somebody something that you don't do yourself Every bible study that Every genuine bible teacher teaches first has to filter through his own heart before he pours it out to other people It has to be something like a mirror that he looks at himself and sees himself Because when you look at yourself in the mirror of the word it produces humility But if you don't look at yourself in the mirror of the word Then you can take it upon yourself to be an expert in life And you're going to counsel everybody with all of this great information But you have no compassion sympathy or experience and that shows after a while And so he's saying this you're thinking too highly of yourself Again remember in chapter 12 of of job in verse 2 He had said no doubt you are the people wisdom will die with you He's already spoken to them and has already said You guys are very haughty in the way that you're approaching and you're very arrogant in the way that you're giving counsel in verse 4 He says To whom have you uttered words Whose spirit came from you? So to whom have you uttered words? Who are you speaking to anyway? Surely you're not speaking to me And one more thing let me ask you this who prompted you to speak to me in this way Where do you get off speaking to me in the way that you are? Why are you speaking to me like this? What makes you think? That i'm just going to listen to you because you choose to speak to me What makes you think that what you have to say is worthy of my listening to and applying And so he's basically rebuking these people bill dad at this point Because they've come to him with arrogance without humility without compassion without love and really without anything that would help him to get better And so he goes on and he says in verse 5 The dead tremble Those under the waters and those inhabiting them shill is naked before him And destruction has no covering When he says the dead tremble it speaks of those who are dead and are awaiting Judgment that's why they would tremble So that's intended to communicate that he understands that god's dominion is universal Because earlier in verse 2 of chapter 25 bill dad had said dominion and fear belong to him He makes peace in his high places So earlier he had spoken of god's dominion in what is called high places Job is saying well, he is not just having dominion in high places god has dominion everywhere When he speaks in verse 6 and he says shill is naked before him and destruction has no covering He's saying hell itself isn't hidden from his sight And nothing can conceal it from his view One of the most Beautiful portions of scripture if you take notes you might want to mark this one Psalm 139 verses 7 and 8 The question is asked where can I go from your spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens you are there If I make my bed in the depths You are there I can't escape your presence There's no place in this universe that I could get away from you you're everywhere and you see all things And that should give us comfort. So when he says in verse 6 shill is naked before him destruction has no covering shill is another way of speaking of a waiting place that in the new testament is called hell rather hades and it's a waiting place of those who have died And so he's saying hell itself is not hidden from his sight. Nothing can conceal it from his view In Hebrews 4 13 nothing in all creation is hidden from god's sight He says everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account There's nothing that I can do that god doesn't see now that shouldn't cause me fear Unless i'm doing something wrong you know When I was a young believer I used to think I could kind of hide or shield myself from the view of god I thought that I could do that I thought that if I just kind of hide it with a holy smile or whatever And then I discovered as I grew in the lord and started reading the scripture that He knows the words before they're formed on my mouth. He knows them all together god knows everything So what am I trying to hide from him and there's nothing you can hide from the lord? God sees it all everything is open everything is naked before him. He sees it all There's nothing that you can do and it's always reminded me of my children My children who tried to hide things from me tried to hide You know that you know my son david comes home one day and he was two years old And uh, he come well he has actually had a friend of ours house He my friend had a little boy his age and so they were playing and and I I carry david into his room You know he's two and i'm putting him in bed and he's got these uh these onesies You know those with the little feet and everything he still wears them But he had these these pajamas on and and his right foot was longer than his left I'm looking at his foot. It's kind of I thought what is that and so I I open up the pajamas and put my hand down there And shook and it was a little matchbox car. So maybe you remember those little cars kids used to like He had stolen it from his friend adam I couldn't believe it. He was like his mother. It bothered me Because marie stole my heart anyway I got so upset I thought oh my god. I'm raising the thief And so I called dan and debbie. I called him up dan was my first assistant And I called deb and debbie and we call it deb and I called deb and I said deb I'm so sorry My son david stole one of adam's matchbox cars. I'm so sorry and she laughs She says don't worry. I've got many of david's over here adam's been stealing david's cars all along a little david thought that he could hide things from me He thought that he could do something and and hide it and and he did that more than once when he He climbed into the into the freezer refrigerator opened the and and and found the ice cream and And I went in I opened up the refrigerator and it saw that the ice cream that we had But that that that the box had been opened And obviously, you know, I looked to see if marie had but no she hadn't so I thought Somebody has been eating the ice cream. So I said david and we call him little david little david And it's quiet. So I go walking around I said david, where are you? He was hiding behind the couch And I he had ice cream on his mouth and I walked up to him and I said son How stupid I was I asked this question. Have you been eating the ice cream? No, no No, I haven't you know, we try to do that to the lord We hide from god. We think that we can shield our activities from him. He doesn't see no Everything is open and naked before him. He sees it all And there's nothing you do by the way that he hasn't already been aware that you would do He he knew what I would do. He knew what you would do When he saved you he knew what you would do with the gospel and still he trusted you with it He knew that there would be times that we are unfaithful to him and he still called us why because he sees not just what we've done But what we will be and god has a way of working us through that to make us in the image of jesus christ And so he works with us in that way He sees it all and he saw it all and yet he loves you And so he's speaking concerning this and he says god sees everything and he continues and he says in verse seven He stretches out the north over empty space. He hangs the earth on nothing Interestingly, one of my commentators said that he is accurately describing The condition of the earth how it is suspended In space he suspends the earth in space. There's nothing supporting it But his own will In colossians chapter one verse 17 speaking of jesus it says He is before all things and in him all things hold together He keeps everything together Hebrews 1 3 says the son jesus is the radiance of god's glory The exact representation of his being sustaining all things By his powerful word. I like to phrase the word of his power by his powerful word After he had provided purification for sins. He sat down at the right hand of the majesty On high in heaven. He keeps everything together Jesus keeps everything together and by the way, he keeps you together, too When you think things are falling apart. He's the one who keeps you together never forget that That's why you cast your cares on him. That's why you pursue him Because he's the one who keeps you together, too He keeps us all together, but he stretches out the north over empty space. He hangs the earth. He says On nothing he everything consists by the word of his power in verse eight He binds up the water in his thick clouds yet the clouds are not broken under it He creates the clouds And you look up and you see them and and these are clouds that hold water They hold water But they don't burst They're not like water skins and he's just making that observation He's saying it is done in such a way that The great weight of all of that water Doesn't doesn't descend he he keeps it together and and he allows that water to drop But it does so in droplets when it rains And so he's just simply saying the power of god in verse nine He covers the face of his throne spreads his cloud over it So he uses the image of clouds in the sky To say it is not seen by those His throne is not seen by those who are below And so the image is intended to communicate that sinful man cannot approach god In his holiness And that's something we see as an image throughout scripture. For example, psalm 18 verse 11 says He made darkness his covering his canopy around him the dark rain clouds of the sky In psalm 97 verse 2 clouds and thick darkness around him Righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne So god as holy is the point he's making Man is sinful And it's not possible to approach god In our own goodness because every element of the unsaved man Is tainted and rotten in sin. That's what the scripture says So god is holy man is not so it's not possible for us in our own righteousness To approach him and he makes it clear in the book of exodus for example chapter 33 verse 20 Speaking of god it says he said you cannot see my face for man shall not see me and live Moses had said i want to see you i want to see your glory and god says no No man can look upon me and live God is holy And man is sinful in first timothy chapter 6 verses 15 through 17 Paul said he who is the blessed and only sovereign The king of kings and lord of lords Who alone has immortality Who dwells in unapproachable light Whom no one has ever seen or can see to him be honor and eternal dominion God is the only king of kings. He's the sovereign, but he says he dwells in unapproachable light So god says no one can look upon my face and live i dwell in unapproachable light God is holy man is sinful. How is it possible to approach a holy god? Seeing that we're sinful You see when you read your bible scriptures indicate that we can see him because in job 1926 and 27 after my skin has been Destroyed yet in my flesh else i shall see god whom i shall see for myself my eyes shall behold and not another I will be seeing him. He says and remember in matthew 5 verse 8 Jesus said blessed are the pure and height heart. They shall see god No, wait a minute No one shall look upon my face and live i dwell in unapproachable light And yet blessed are those Who are a pure and heart they shall see god and job said i my eyes will behold him Okay, here's your answer. We can't physically see god. He's invisible. He dwells in unapproachable light So physically we can't see him spiritually. We can't see him because he's holy and man is sinful And that's what the bible says By nature we are sinful Psalm 51 verse 5 i was shaping in iniquity In sin did my mother conceive me Psalm 130 verse 3 If you lord Should mark iniquities Well lord who can stand Ephesians 2 verse 3 paul says we are by nature children of wrath even as others Okay, we've got a holy god We can't approach him in our sinfulness All if sin and fall short of the glory of god, there's none righteous. No, not one But there's a promise that I will see him. How is that promise fulfilled? The the solution is the incarnation and the voluntary sacrifice of jesus christ Because god took upon himself human flesh lived amongst us And again in colossians 1 verse 15 It says christ is the visible image of the invisible god He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation So jesus god took upon himself human flesh dwelt amongst us Even as john said wouldn't we be held as glory the glory of the only begotten son of god And so jesus christ in his incarnation takes upon himself the sin of the world as the lamb of god And becomes our mediator That's why in john 14 verse 6 He said i'm the way the truth in the life no man can come to the father but by me So as the lamb of god jesus paid the penalty on our behalf Which makes it possible to be forgiven? And then he makes it possible because of our forgiveness That for us a one-day see god because we've been purified washed by the blood of christ In first john 3 2 john said we know that when he appears we shall be like him because we shall see him As he is In 2nd chrithians 5 21 This is even more powerful. It says god made him who had no sin to be sin for us that we might be Made the righteousness of god in him So what happens is no i cannot see god In my sinful flesh But when i commit my heart to christ and my sin is forgiven god imputes or gives to me his own righteousness Which makes it possible for me to have fellowship with him And to see him And that knowledge Has caused me to become confident to approach him In hebrus 4 16 it says let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence So that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need So again, that's the result of the grace of god who makes fellowship possible for us Someone once said If sin will be the ruin of men And surely it will Yet Our lord jesus christ knows how to take the ruined sinners And build them up to be temples for his indwelling christ Will take the very castaways of the devil and use them for himself He delights the stoop over the dung hill And pick up a broken vessel that has been thrown away And make it into a vessel Fit for the master's use in that beautiful He can take broken pottery He can take that which has been thrown away that has no value And he can make it fit for his own use that's what god does That's why i've said so many times the only the only Valuable vessel in the hand of god is the broken one When that woman broke that alabaster vase of that contained the fragrant Ointment she broke it and and used it to anoint jesus with and and that vase itself Was nothing it was it wasn't that valuable. It was the contents of the vase That was valuable and the only way that that came out is when it was broken And and so we have this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellency may be of god and not ourselves So when people are being broken and job is being broken when your life is being broken It is not broken without repair guys always remember that it is broken so that you can be repaired in his image And you will have a word of comfort to give to others who are suffering through the things you yourself have gone through And so when you learn that spiritual lesson that god's comfort is intended not just to be enjoyed by me But to be given to others then you'll understand how that the one suffers the body suffers together But we have the remedy in christ and we can bring that to someone and say look at been broken like you Not exactly of course, but i've been there and i can tell you this you're never alone god is with you He will repair you and he will use you if you just trust in him You can say that you can know that because that's what god does and job is going through these things and he's being broken as he continues he speaks concerning the fact that well in verse i'll start at verse Eight he binds up the water and sick clouds the clouds are not broken under it covers the face of his throne Spreads his cloud over it in verse 10 He drew a circular horizon on the face of the waters at the boundary of light and darkness So it's interesting how he speaks of the boundary of light. He speaks of a circular horizon In other words, he formed the horizon Which is interesting, you know once again Job was aware that the earth was round. Sorry flat earthers It proverbs 8 27 b It speaks of how he he drew a circle on the face of the deep. There's a horizon He's aware of the earth is a globe He speaks of in verse 10 The boundary of light That means that when it's dark in one place, it's light in another when it's night In other words in one hemisphere. It's day in the other In verse 11. He says the pillars of heaven tremble and are astonished at his rebuke Now that that is one of those verses that there's a lot of comment on It may be referring to mountains the pillars of heaven Mountains that reach to the heavens But as it speaks In that way notice it says the pillars of heaven tremble and are astonished at his rebuke so It would include the the various storms and all that can take place on mountaintops the Lightning and the thunder he's saying that is all Under his rule now. It's interesting that they are astonished. It says at his rebuke Again, that could be a picture of the mountains under the rule of god In verse 12 he says he stirs up the sea With his power By his understanding Breaks up the storm Even nature itself obeys him. He stirs up the sea, but he also calms it He breaks up. It says he breaks up the storm He can calm The proud waves of the ocean The psalmist in psalm 65 verses 5 through 7 said it like this. He said By awesome deeds you answer us with righteousness Oh god of our salvation the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas The one who by his strength established the mountains being girded with might Who stills the roaring of the seas the roaring of their waves The tumult of the peoples Psalm 89 8 and 9 says oh lord god of hosts who is mighty as you are Oh lord with your faithfulness all around you and he says you rule the region of the sea when its waves rise You still them So that caused me as I was preparing the study that caused me to remember something that I had had read In the past Concerning the fact that jesus christ can still the storm and I was thinking of that I was thinking of the time that jesus and his men were in a storm on the sea of galilee We're all familiar with this story a great storm arose the boat was covered the bible says with waves But jesus was asleep And the disciples were afraid and they woke him up and they said lord save us We're perishing Well, Matthew tells us that jesus spoke and said why are you so fearful oh you of little faith And then he arose and he rebuked the winds he spoke to him And the sea and there was a great calm And the scripture in matthew 8 verse 27 says the men marveled saying Who can this be that even the winds and the sea obey him? Yeah, I guess so I've been on the sea of galilee many times Many times and there have been times when it was a little um There was a little bit of a storm not not a major one nothing as large as the ones we see in scripture, but There have been times in that the boat that we're in begins to lift a little bit and all and we always get the same thing our our The guys own the boats and all of that and they They always say that anybody here want to take a walk You know One time I was with a raw race and he tried we found him at the bottom of the sea of galilee Who wants to take a walk? Well, obviously that's the whole point, you know And so when you think of the fact that god is the one who steals the storm it's interesting how Jesus had to steal the storm in the hearts of his men Before he stilled the storm on the ocean. Which do you think was more difficult? He has a quicker response from nature than he does from his own people He has You see that so often in scripture where he has to steal us Before he steals nature itself And so he has that power and what do they do? They began to say who is this? Who is this? We have yet to come to realize that we actually have God in the flesh in this boat with us And when you understand that no matter where you are, you're never alone You actually grow in your confidence in your strength If you can wake up in the morning, even as you put your head On your pillow at night and you can remind yourself. I am not alone. He is with me He never leaves me. He never forsakes me. I'm never by myself Even how the Lord Jesus was praying and said to his father and now I'm alone and yet I'm not alone for you are with me If we would only understand that If we only knew that see the world doesn't know that the world can't say that but the church can The church can You know, I'm not presumptuous. It could sound like I am. I'm not one who who tempts the lord I'm not going to stand at the pinnacle of the temple and jump off Just to see if the angels of God will lift me up because they're not going to and I just get to heaven quicker You know, that's that's not the way to do it. But at the same time Like you Well, it's like this If the word of God says he is with me, he will strengthen me He never leaves me that he'll give me power That I can have confidence He didn't give me a spirit of fear but of love power and sound mind if those things are true And they are and maybe I ought to live as if I believe that That doesn't mean I tempt him That doesn't mean I go stand in the middle of the street and see whether a car can kill me when it hits me It doesn't mean I'm going to do that or presume on him. It simply means I can live in peace That I know that God is in control and he's moving on his own timetable And I can know that because God can still the storm of the sea I ask him to still the storm within me God because I want to rest and I want to I want to be Jesus you were asleep You weren't afraid of anything you know, you were going to make it through and you knew the men were too And here they are saying we're about to perish when in fact that wasn't possible You were with them and if we only understood that I'm not saying again to to go out and tempt the lord I'm simply saying let's walk in confidence because he's with us You see nature itself obeys God is the point that he's making He stirs up the sea with his power by his understanding breaks up the storm Verse 13 by his spirit. He adorned the heavens his hand pierced the fleeing serpent interesting When it says by his spirit he adorned the heavens by his spirit would refer of course to the holy spirit The holy spirit who was part of the creation of the world in genesis chapter 1 verse 2 It says the earth was formless and empty Darkness was over the surface of the deep and the spirit of God was hovering over the waters by his spirit He adorned the heavens the spirit is part of his initial creation. He says he adorned the heavens. He made the heavens beautiful wonderful to behold And humbling to man indeed the heavens are humbling to man Because God has done this beautiful work. He has done this And he has made these things beautiful And so when we go outside and we see what is taking place how the lord has created all things I don't know about you my wife marie and I sometimes Especially after it's rained But there are times when we're driving together and my my girl will look at me And she'll say this and and we say it fairly often. She'll say isn't it beautiful? Isn't isn't isn't beautiful? What a beautiful morning. It's so beautiful. We know who to thank For that it's god himself in psalm 8 verse 1 it reads oh lord our god. How excellent is your name in all the earth Who have set your glory above the heavens In verse 3 of psalm 8 he said when I consider your heavens the work of your fingers the moon and the stars Which you have ordained you have set in their place. What is man? That you're mindful of him the son of man human beings that you visit or you care for them So god you've made everything beautiful But it's interesting in verse 13 how he says his hand has pierced the fleeing serpent. That's an interesting phrase there And as I was preparing I I looked at various commentators Which I do when I'm when I'm studying the bible and the commentators I use are not united in their understanding Of what joe would be saying when it says his hand pierced the fleeing serpent So some think he's referring simply to actual serpents Serpents of any kind and one commentator went so far as to say he may be speaking of a crocodile And so they say that he's speaking concerning the ones whom he has created and they interpret the word pierced to mean the one he formed So they're saying well, he's he's speaking of serpents of any kind But others look at the the word pierced and they say it speaks of something that is crooked So they'd say that this is speaking of lightning and lightning when it comes the crooked serpent They would say beautifies the skies There's others who say this speaks of the serpent the great dragon satan himself Remember in revelation 12 verse 9 how the scripture says the great dragon was hurled down That ancient serpent called the devil or satan who leads the whole world astray He was hurled to the earth and his angels with him So the crooked serpent satan Satan was part of god's original creation and he fell through pride Well job knowing of the fall of man would be saying That satan initiated that fall which he did And as a response god will bring judgment on the great dragon for his rebellion That would indicate that job was aware satan would be judged And we know that satan will ultimately ultimately be thrown into the lake Of burning sulfur with the antichrist and false prophet So in job's presentation of god's power over creation This reveals its totality the punishing of the serpent is evidence over god's power Of god's power over the author of evil Now we'll close with a couple of thoughts remember bill dad had said dominion and fear belonged to him in verse 2 of 25 Well here joe makes it clear that that is something he knows absolutely to be true And so he closes in verse 14 by saying indeed These are the mere edges of his ways And how small a whisper we hear of him But the thunder of his power Who can understand? I've spoken of his grandeur But now I speak that he is an incredibly awesome god We can't understand the depth of his glory We can't understand the magnitude of his majesty All we can do is hear the whisper But we can't endure the full thunder Of glory So bill dad he is the absolute king over the entire universe He is terrible in might and all men should seek peace with him He's saying god is perfect and we're not Yes bill dad we're only worms and maggots And in the end we need help And we know in the new testament that that help came to us through jesus christ You see bill dad is not aware of the love of god He's aware of his awesome power But he doesn't know his saving mercy yet You see it's god's loving grace That produces changed lives not some rigid form of legalism A list of don't do these things It's the grace of god That actually brings life because the letter of the law is what kills And god's grace and god's mercy Have been revealed in the face of jesus christ And that's why we can confess our sin Because he is faithful and just to forgive us of our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness And when we give our heart to christ We we can we can know god in a deeper way We can actually begin to hear more than simply a whisper of his grandeur and majesty But one day we shall see him face to face And one day we will hear his voices that speaks to us in an audible form And one day we will be able to to worship him With all of the saints and all of the ages and thunderous worship and praise Where we will say you are worthy o god to receive honor and glory for you have created all things And by you all things have been created and exist and lord We love you and we give to you glory because you revealed yourself to us through jesus christ Bill that you don't know that aspect of god But we have been given the privilege of being able to see that in the face of jesus christ And in that we ought to be very very very grateful because he has shown us his love through his son And father we ask that you would work within us Lord so that we would really appreciate that simple knowledge that our sins are forgiven That you are awesome in majesty and powerful in might And yet lord you took upon yourself you in flesh You you dwelled amongst us And and people were able to see You in jesus christ like you said to philip have i been so long a time with you and yet you have not known me philip You who has seen me has seen the father. How sayest thou then show us the father? Well jesus you revealed yourself to your men By your spirit you have revealed yourself to us And so we would honor you and we would worship you and we would follow you For god you are worthy of all honor and glory And we love you And even as our eyes are closed and our heads are bowed perhaps there's some right now Whether watching online or in this room We need prayer you need to get right with god Obviously i can't see those who are online, but i can't see those in this room And if you need prayer and perhaps those of you who are online You might want to join in this if you need prayer you want to be right with the lord Would you raise your hand let me pray for you right where you're at father you see these hands You know the reason why they're being raised to you And in jesus name i ask that you would reach and touch them right now their hands are raised using god be merciful to me And help me i need you Perhaps some are opening their hearts and saying god i need you to dwell within me i want to follow you Perhaps there are some even right now on online who are doing that father i pray that you would work within them And right now you would make yourself known to them may they have your peace May they have your comfort and may they walk from this point on in your spirit We yield ourselves to you and we receive from you right now and we thank you and we bless you Thank you You can put your hands down and jesus i pray that you would work with all of us and i pray this in your name amen